An understanding of how justice judgments are formed is essential knowledge for practitioners given the adverse consequences which may arise due to perceptions of unfairness. In this thesis, two studies are conducted to explore the overall justice judgment, complying with the principles of representative design in order that the stimuli and situations are relevant and realistic for the sampled participants, and reflect real world decision making processes. Study 1 adopts a policy capturing design using a sample of 12 Judges to rate the overall fairness of 56 performance appraisals (N=672 situations). Study 2 uses Mouselab, a process-tracing tool, to present the stimuli and record the information acquisition processes used by individuals. This study uses N=2744 situations on which within- and between- individual analyses are conducted. The selection process of the 10 cues on which judgments were formed explained around 82% of variance in overall justice judgments. Objective decision making policies are inferred using regressions, and are compared to subjective policies stated by each Judge. Results illustrate that unequal weights are assigned to justice antecedents in the formation of overall judgments, and that the presence of antecedents does not ensure their salience to an overall judgment. Furthermore, the salience of the role of justice dimensions varies between individuals. Judges are mostly consistent in making justice judgments between situations (r=0.63), but exhibit poor self-insight into their own mental processes. Comparison of objective and subjectively ranked cues was low (r=0.02), and between objectively and subjectively rated cues (r=0.26). Measures of personality and cognitive control (CRT) are included to explore decision making between individuals. This thesis demonstrates possibilities for representative design in justice research, and illustrates how it can enhance the capabilities of policy capturing studies. Practical implications for appraisers are discussed in light of how fair performance appraisals are perceived to be.

This thesis presents research on the role and influence of human resource management in the capital markets and investment banking sector. The initial research targeted 22 leading banks in the capital markets and investment banking sector covering the period 2001 to 2003 and further, exploratory, research undertaken between March and May 2007 focused on 14 of these banks. The findings of this thesis indicate: that CEOs have greater influence over the human resource environment than human resource professionals and that where they are competent in human resource management then they can positively impact the human resource environment and following this, firm competitive advantage; that senior business line mangers must clearly understand and embrace their human resource management responsibilities for an integrated approach to human resource management to be successful; and, that the degree of human resource business partner influence is contingent on the degree of human resource business partner credibility. It is argued by this thesis that if human resource professionals have no credibility CEOs and senior business line managers are unlikely to include them in significant decision making. It is also argued that credibility can be both individual and institutional. The implications of these thesis findings include: a strategic approach to management of the talent portfolio, led by the CEO. This involves an understanding of the fundamental links between leadership and management competency as it relates to the human resource environment; talent portfolio management; and, better firm performance; an integrated and strategic working relationship between the human resource function and business managers; stronger numerical, analytical and commercial skills in the human resource function; greater measurement around talent, building up to sophisticated human capital metrics; and, the identification and active management of people related risk.

In an influential report, Coffield et al (2004) argued that the field of learning styles was dogged by increasing ‘theoretical incoherence and conceptual confusion’. Sadler-Smith (1996, 2001), Curry (1999) and Rayner (2007) echoed these criticisms and Curry (1999) commented that the learning styles literature was plagued with a plethora of published papers, many of which contained methodological and experimental design flaws. With these criticisms in mind, the question as to how HRD practitioners identified and selected a learning style questionnaire (lsq) to use in their professional practice was considered relevant. This study used a triangulated research strategy to identify and explain factors that influenced these choices and had Bhaskars’ Bases of Action model (1998) as an organising framework. The research demonstrated that from a wide range of lsqs available, that nearly 80% of HRD practitioners preferred to use one of only three of the most popular lsqs available. None of these fully met the quality criteria in Coffield et al (2004), namely demonstrating acceptable internal consistency, testretest reliability, construct validity and predictive validity. Factors driving practitioner choice were identified through the research as including: lsq brand strength, experience based habits gained through using an lsq, economic and cognitive ‘lock-in’ associated with an lsq, practitioner’s view of their own state of professional ‘mastery’ and their beliefs about how results are best delivered. Further insights included that the Myers Briggs Type Indicator was the most popular lsq and that there was only a limited knowledge of learning theories held by many practitioners. This research adds further to the debate about applied practitioners and their engagement with theory, research and evidence based practices. It offers a more dynamic model about practitioner decision making about, and engagement with, theory and research in support of their professional practice, than currently exists.

This thesis presents an exploratory study into the nature of organisational commitment among professional employees. This thesis argues that the classic definition of commitment (Mowday, Porter and Steers, 1982) has been superseded by a reshaped psychological contract that affects the employment relationship in post-industrial society. Following exploratory, qualitative research organisational commitment was conceptualised as a multi-dimensional construct involving the congruence of individual and organisational goals, effort directed at goal achievement and innovation in the work place. A Behavioural Commitment Scale was developed and construct validity was examined through a cross sectional, quantitative survey of 329 pharmaceutical chemists, 166 public sector accountants and 138 private sector accountants. Social exchange theory is used to contextualise a study of how behavioural commitment is related to professionalism, perceived organisational support and social exchange disposition. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-dimensional structure of the Behavioural Commitment Scale. Multiple moderated regression revealed that the influence of situational variables upon interaction effects was greater than the nature of the profession. Union membership, low tenure, and prior involuntary job change all influenced positive interactions between perceived support and exchange. Professionalism moderated the effect of social exchange on commitment. Feelings of inability to leave the organisation and job insecurity in the late career stage both interact negatively with professionalism to have detrimental affects upon behavioural commitment. The implications for human resource management include: recognition of the influence that competing commitments have upon employees and the potential for judicious use of support; and, maintaining commitment in climates of job insecurity and job immobility. Suggestions for further research are given.

In light of the increasing proliferation of organizational drug testing in both the US and the UK, this thesis explores employee responses to this managerialist mechanism with specific reference to the ‘social order’ of drugs, surveillance, discipline and work-life balance. As Brewis et al. (2006) suggest it is important to consider this topic prior to it becoming an established practice in the UK in particular. My research questions are therefore concerned: 1. To examine the extent to which employees accept, accommodate or resist drug testing policies. 2. To consider what the ethico-political implications of these policies may be for individual employees, organizations and society at large. Importantly this thesis makes a significant contribution to Organization Studies (OS) and Critical Management Studies (CMS) literature alike. Although the issues of surveillance, discipline and work-life balance have been given significant attention by these scholars, to date the literature has remained resoundingly silent on the issue of employee drug testing. Methodologically negotiation of access to an organization for the purpose of researching this extremely sensitive topic was also successfully achieved. Based on the data collected, the thesis contends that respondents’ understandings of the drug test as more or less legitimate tended to vary with the level of their personal experience of drugs and drug takers. Concerns were also expressed about the impact of drug policies on the private sphere of leisure and the home. However, despite its obvious panoptic intentions, my data also indicate that in practice the drug test is a flawed surveillance technology, limited to the time of its physical enactment and affected by various factors including the frequency with which it is conducted. The data likewise indicate the possibility of beating the test via the use of masking agents, for example. Overall, although methods of resistance did seem to develop alongside increasingly stringent testing procedures, due to its apparent flaws respondents were relatively apathetic towards the test and it seemed to have little substantive impact on their behaviour.

This thesis set out to determine whether learning that takes place in the workplace can help significantly in the attempt to create a high skilled engineering workforce in Ireland. The rationale for the research was linked with certain stakeholder views which, suggest that the engineering industry must reposition itself higher up the value chain. Government aspirations of creating a knowledge based high skills economy and the promotion of lifelong learning were other influencing factors. A central tenet of the analytical framework on which the study was based is that learning and working are interdependent. Moreover learning is just as much a social and participatory process as it is a form of acquisition. Engineering companies in Ireland are classified as either traditional or modern. The expectation at the outset was to find that modern companies would provide a more conducive environment for deep learning to occur. The research was based on four case study companies representing both of these classifications in order to build a more complete of what exists in reality. Policy debate in Ireland on high level skills, lifelong learning and knowledge creation revolves mainly around greater participation levels in third level education and acquiring formal qualifications. The author was of the opinion at the outset that this type of one sided approach ignores a critical element in the skill and knowledge formation process. Evidence is presented which shows that engineering workers develop significant skill levels through the normal work routines and by interacting with work colleagues. The divide within the industry in relation to modern and traditional companies was shown to be insignificant as far as attitudes to learning and the need for skills are concerned. Certain skills which are regarded as being essential for high value added forms of manufacture were shown to be best acquired in the workplace. By focusing exclusively on formal off-the-job training and education as a means of measuring skills and knowledge levels, we will never really know what skill levels and expertise exist within the industry. More importantly the research showed that engineering employees regard the workplace as a site where certain types of skills and knowledge can only be acquired. Workplace learning must be regarded as an integral part of the engineering skill formation process and should be afforded formal recognition. The thesis is unique because it is industry specific and located in the Irish context. It is based on an analytical framework which relies on a synthesis of discrete findings from previous researchers. These interacting variables were combined as part of a mixed methodology in a way that had not been done before and resulted in some new insights on the concept of workplace learning as part of an engineering skill formation process.

Inward migration is a relatively new phenomenon for Ireland. The improvement in the Irish economy, which has resulted in an influx of non-Irish nationals, has changed the face of employment in Ireland today. Diversity in the workforce embraces many different dimensions including race, national origin, and language, but heretofore cultural differences have not impacted significantly on strategies in relation to learning and development within Irish organisations. Now these organisations have to confront the complex issues faced by other multicultural organisations, and strategies to ensure the successful development of staff have had to take culture into account. The research question explored the challenges facing Irish organisations, focusing on the issues of integration, language acquisition and learning and development with diverse cultures and in different organisations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with employers, employees, Trade Union and Regulatory bodies. Non-Irish employees were also asked for their views in a postal survey. The results indicated that there is a paucity of research on the issue of learning and development for non-Irish workers in an Irish context and while Irish organisations and Government bodies are grappling with other management issues, learning and development is not seen as a priority. Most training is provided in English and is legally required. Irish trainers it appears have little understanding of cultural differences in learning styles. Guidelines should be developed and presented at national level to coordinate all integration strategies and provide valuable advice for organisations regarding the development of their multicultural workforces. Organisations should also re-consider their attitudes to the learning and development strategies that are currently in place for their non-Irish workers. Although Ireland is new to the immigration experience, we now have an opportunity to examine management strategies from other countries, avoiding their mistakes while adopting their positive models of good practice.

The purpose of this research is to examine how various dimensions of context influence how managers learn in work and the processes and agents that facilitate this learning. Despite the importance of facilitating manager learning in work there is limited research addressing this specific question. In this study, manager learning in work in conceptualised as being distinct from the concepts of workplace learning and learning at work, as these concepts imply learning in a bounded, identifiable place whereas learning in work is considered as spatially and temporally fluid (Fenwick, 2008). Learning for managers lie with the challenges of work itself (Berings et al., 2004) as managers are coping in a rapidly changing and chaotic work environment and may require learning strategies focused in work that is vital for changing situations (Buckley and Monks, 2008). A qualitative study was conducted among a sample of ten managers based in an innovative and successful entrepreneurial organisation in Ireland, engaged in the financial services sector. In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out in conjunction with a learning diary which was completed by all ten managers. The diary facilitated self reflection and was reported to have benefits in terms of creating a focus on learning in work. Macro contextual issues were identified as the external context strategy, structure, culture and leadership. Micro contextual issues were identified as the team context and the manager’s job together with agents that facilitate learning in work.

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